‘Flora, you remember Conner?’

It didn’t matter how many rules or hearts he’d broken, there wasn’t a woman alive who would forget Conner MacNeil once she’d met him.

Determined not to boost his ego by revealing her thoughts, Flora adopted what she hoped was a puzzled expression. ‘Conner—Conner—the name is familiar—were you below me at school? Or were you above me?’

His blue eyes glinted with wicked humour. ‘I don’t recall ever being above or below you, Flora,’ he murmured softly.

She felt the heat flare in her cheeks and remembered, too late, that anyone trying to play word games with Conner was always going to lose.

Flora didn’t know why she felt so hot and bothered. The only person who didn’t seem remotely embarrassed was Conner himself. He simply laughed.

Flora bit her lip. She knew she ought to say something nice and welcoming, but her brain just didn’t seem to be working with its normal efficiency. Seeing Conner again without warning was shocking, confusing and—thrilling?

One thing she knew for sure. The calm, tranquil routine of Glenmore Island was about to be overturned.

Sarah Morgan trained as a nurse, and has since worked in a variety of health-related jobs. Married to a gorgeous businessman, who still makes her knees knock, she spends most of her time trying to keep up with their two little boys, but manages to sneak off occasionally to indulge her passion for writing romance. Sarah loves outdoor life, and is an enthusiastic skier and walker. Whatever she is doing, her head is always full of new characters, and she is addicted to happy endings.

Recent titles by the same author:

Medical™ Romance THE ITALIAN’S NEW-YEAR MARRIAGE WISH* THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS SINGLE FATHER, WIFE NEEDED** A BRIDE FOR GLENMORE**

*Brides of Penhally Bay **Glenmore Island Doctors

Modern™ Romance BOUGHT: THE GREEK’S INNOCENT VIRGIN THE SHIEKH’S VIRGIN PRINCESS THE BRAZILIAN BOSS’S INNOCENT MISTRESS THE SICILIAN’S VIRGIN BRIDE

Dear Reader

Last summer I wrote two books set on the fictitious Scottish Island of Glenmore. At the time, I didn’t think I’d be returning there, but I woke up one morning with the character of Conner in my head and I fell in love instantly.

On the surface, Conner MacNeil is the ultimate bad boy. He had a rough start in life and was always in trouble. When he finally turned his back on Glenmore, the islanders were as pleased to see him go as he was to leave.

Now he is back, and the boy is a man. He’s also a doctor, and his arrival sends the traditional close-knit community of Glenmore into an uproar. Islanders have long memories, and they find it hard to believe that wild, unstable Conner is capable of fulfilling such a responsible role.

Only the practice nurse, Flora Harris, is willing to give Conner the benefit of the doubt. She has been fascinated by Conner since childhood, and soon finds her feelings for him growing into something deeper and more permanent.

But their differences soon make the relationship complicated. Flora is a very private person, and she hates being talked about. And everyone is talking about Conner. He doesn’t care, but she certainly does. This is her home, and she doesn’t want people gossiping. So they try and keep their relationship private, forgetting that on an island like Glenmore nothing remains a secret for long...

I hope you enjoy reading Conner and Flora’s story, and returning to the wild, wind-battered shores of Glenmore Island.

Love

Sarah x

THE REBEL DOCTOR’S BRIDE

BY

SARAH MORGAN

www.millsandboon.co.uk

PROLOGUE

THEY were all staring.

He could feel them staring even though he stood with his back to them, his legs braced against the slight roll of the ferry, his eyes fixed firmly on the ragged coastline of the approaching island.

The whispers and speculation had started from the moment he’d ridden his motorbike onto the ferry. From the moment he’d removed his helmet and allowed them to see his face.

Some of the passengers were tourists, using the ferry as a means to spend a few days or weeks on the wild Scottish island of Glenmore, but many were locals, taking advantage of their only transport link with the mainland.

And the locals knew him. Even after an absence of twelve years, they recognised him.

They remembered him for all the same reasons that he remembered them.

Their faces were filed away in his subconscious; deep scars on his soul.

He probably should have greeted them; islanders were sociable people and a smile and a ‘hello’ might have begun to bridge the gulf that stretched between them. But his firm mouth didn’t shift and the chill in his ice blue eyes didn’t thaw.

And that was the root of the problem, he brooded silently as he studied the deadly rocks that had protected this part of the coastline for centuries. He wasn’t sociable. He didn’t care what they thought of him. He’d never been interested in courting the good opinion of others and he’d never considered himself an islander, even though he’d been born on Glenmore and had spent the first eighteen years of his life trapped within the confines of its rocky shores.

He had no wish to exchange small talk or make friends. Neither did he intend to explain his presence. They’d find out what he was doing here soon enough. It was inevitable. But, for now, he dismissed their shocked glances as inconsequential and enjoyed his last moments of self-imposed isolation.

The first drops of rain sent the other passengers scuttling inside for protection but he didn’t move. Instead he stood still, staring bleakly at the ragged shores of the island, just visible through the rain-lashed mist. The land was steeped in lore and legend, with a long, bloody history of Viking invasion.

Locals believed that the island had a soul and a personality. They believed that the unpredictable weather was Glenmore expressing her many moods.

He glanced up at the angry sky with a cynical smile. If that was the case then today she was definitely menopausal.

Or maybe, like the islanders, she’d seen his return and was crying.

The island loomed out of the mist and he stared ahead, seeing dark memories waiting on the shore. Memories of wild teenage years; of anger and defiance. His past was a stormy canvas of rules broken, boundaries exploded, vices explored, girls seduced—far too many girls seduced—and all against an atmosphere of intense disapproval from the locals who’d thought his parents should have had more control.

Remembering the vicious, violent atmosphere of his home, he gave a humourless laugh. His father hadn’t been capable of controlling himself, let alone him. After his mother had left, he’d spent as little time in the house as possible.

The rain was falling heavily as the ferry docked and he turned up the collar of his leather jacket and moved purposefully towards his motorbike.

He could have replaced his helmet and assured himself a degree of privacy from the hostile stares, but instead he paused for a moment, the wicked streak inside him making sure that they had more than enough time to take one more good look at his face. He didn’t want there to be any doubt in their minds. He wanted them to know that he was back.

Let them stare and speculate. It would save him the bother of announcing his return.

With a smooth, athletic movement, he settled his powerful body onto the motorbike and caught the eye of the ferryman, acknowledging his disbelieving stare with a slight inclination of his head. He knew exactly what old Jim was thinking—that the morning ferry had brought trouble to Glenmore. And news of trouble spread fast on this island. As if to confirm his instincts, he caught a few words from the crush of people preparing to leave the ferry. Arrogant, wild, unstable, volatile, handsome as the devil…

He pushed the helmet down onto his head with his gloved hands. Luckily for him, plenty of women were attracted to arrogant, wild, unstable, volatile men, or his life would have been considerably more boring than it had been.

From behind the privacy of his helmet, he smiled, knowing exactly what would happen next. The rumours would spread like ripples in a pond. Within minutes, news of his arrival would have spread across the island. Ferryman to fisherman, fisherman to shopkeeper, shopkeeper to customer—it would take no time at all for the entire population of the island to be informed of the latest news—that Conner MacNeil had come in on the morning ferry.

The Bad Boy was back on the Island.

CHAPTER ONE

‘THE waiting room is packed and you’ve had five requests for home visits.’ Flora handed Logan a prescription to sign, thinking that he looked more tired than ever. ‘Given that they were all mobile and none of their complaints sounded life-threatening, Janet’s managed to persuade them all to come to the surgery because it just isn’t practical for you to go dashing around the island at the moment when you’re running this practice on your own. What happens if we have a genuine emergency? You can’t be in five places at once. We can’t carry on like this, Logan. You can’t carry on like this. You’re going to drop.’

Logan looked at the prescription. ‘Gentacin ear drops?’

‘Pam King has an infection. She has her ears syringed regularly, but this time the whole of the canal is looking inflamed. There didn’t seem any point in adding her to your already buckling list. I’ve taken off half your patients and if I can sort them out, I will. Otherwise I’ll have to push them back through to you.’

‘You, Flora Harris, are a miracle.’ Logan signed the prescription. ‘And persuading you to come back here as my practice nurse was the best thing I ever did. When Kyla and Ethan left, I couldn’t imagine how we were going to cope. I lost nurse and doctor in one fell swoop.’

‘Well, I’ve only solved one half of your problem. You still need to find a doctor to replace Ethan. Any progress?’

‘I think so.’

‘Seriously?’Flora picked the prescription up from his desk. ‘You’ve found someone?’

‘Ask me again at lunchtime. I’m expecting someone on the morning ferry.’

‘Oh, that’s fantastic.’ Relieved, Flora relaxed slightly. ‘Is he or she good? Well qualified?’

‘It’s a he.’ Logan turned back to his computer. ‘And, yes, he’s extremely well qualified.’

Flora stared at him expectantly. ‘And…?’

‘And what?’

‘Aren’t you going to tell me any more?’

‘No.’ He tapped a few keys and frowned at the screen. ‘How are you finding Glenmore, Flora? I haven’t really had a chance to ask you and you’ve already been here for a month. Everything going all right? Have you settled into Evanna’s cottage?’

‘Yes, thank you.’ Hadn’t they been discussing the new doctor? Why were they suddenly on the subject of her cottage? Why was he changing the subject? ‘Evanna’s cottage is beautiful. I love it.’ It was true. She’d never imagined she’d live anywhere so pretty. ‘You can see the sea from the bed…’ she blushed ‘…but, of course, you already know that, given that the two of you are married. I’m sure you spent plenty of time in her cottage.’

‘Actually, we didn’t.’ Logan glanced at her, amused. ‘We usually stayed at mine because there was more room. Are you finding the work very different from the practice in Edinburgh?’

‘Not really, but everything takes four times as long because this is Glenmore and people like to chat.’ Flora gave a helpless shrug. ‘I always seem to be running late.’

‘You need to cut them off when they gossip.’ Logan turned his attention back to the computer screen, searching for something. ‘That’s what the rest of us do.’

‘I haven’t worked out how to do that without appearing rude. I don’t want to offend them. They’re all so nice and they mean well.’ Flora picked up the prescription and moved towards the door. ‘Anyway, I’d better let you carry on. At this rate you’ll still be here at midnight. And so will I.’

As she left the room and returned to her own consulting room she suddenly remembered that Logan hadn’t given her any more clues as to the identity of the new doctor. On an island where no one kept a secret, Logan appeared to have one. Why? What possible reason could he have for being so cloak and dagger about the whole thing?

Who exactly had he appointed?

Conner parked the motorbike and dragged the helmet from his head. The rain had stopped and the sun fought a battle with the clouds, as if to remind him that the weather on Glenmore Island was as unpredictable as ever.

It was July and still the wind blew.

That same wind had almost landed him in jail at the age of sixteen.

Tucking his helmet under his arm, he strolled into the surgery. Nice job, Logan, he thought to himself as he took in his surroundings in one casual glance. Sleek, clean lines and plenty of light. Despite the early hour, the waiting room was already crowded with patients and he saw heads turn and eyes widen as he passed.

Without adjusting his pace, he ignored the reception desk and made for the first consulting room. As he approached the door a patient walked out, clutching a prescription in her hand. She took one look at him and stopped dead, her open mouth reminding him of a baby bird waiting to be fed.

‘Conner MacNeil.’ Her voice trailed off in a strangled squeak and he lifted an eyebrow, a sardonic expression in his eyes as he observed her mounting discomfort.

If he’d been in any doubt as to the islanders’ reaction to his return, that doubt had now gone.

‘Mrs Graham.’ He was cool and polite, his neutral tone a direct contrast to her shock and consternation. He moved past her, knowing that he should cut short the encounter, but he couldn’t quite help himself and he turned, the devil dancing in his eyes. ‘I hope your beautiful garden is thriving. If I remember correctly, it’s always at its best in July.’

Her soft gasp of outrage made it obvious that her memories of their last meeting were as clear as his and a smile played around his hard mouth as he walked into the consulting room without bothering to knock.

Mrs Graham’s garden.

He still remembered the girl…

He pushed the door shut with the flat of his hand and the man at the desk looked up.

‘Conner.’ Logan rose to his feet, welcome in his eyes as he stretched out his hand. ‘It’s been too long.’

‘Not long enough for some,’ Conner murmured, thinking of Mrs Graham who, he was sure, at that precise moment was still glaring angrily at the closed door. ‘Prepare yourself for a riot. The locals will be arming themselves any minute now.’ He shook the hand of the man who had been part of his boyhood.

‘Kate Graham recognised you, then? I seem to recall that you were stark naked the last time she saw you.’

The devil was back in Conner’s eyes. ‘Mrs Graham had extremely tall delphiniums in her border,’ he recalled. ‘She only saw my face.’

Logan laughed out loud. ‘You have no idea how pleased I am to see you. You’re looking good, Conner.’

‘I wish I could return the compliment.’ Conner’s dark brows drew together in a frown as he studied his cousin, taking in the faint shadows and the lines of strain. ‘You’ve looked better. Island life obviously doesn’t suit you. You need to leave this backwater and find yourself a proper job.’ But his tone was light because he knew that the medical care that his cousin delivered on this remote Scottish island was of exceptional quality.

‘There’s nothing wrong with island life, just the lack of medical staff. To run this place effectively we need two doctors and two nurses.’ Logan rubbed his fingers over his forehead. ‘It’s been tough since Kyla and Ethan left. I lost a doctor and a nurse in one blow.’

Conner thought about his cousin. ‘I never thought Kyla would leave this place.’

‘She married an Englishman with itchy feet.’

‘There’s treatment for that.’

‘Yeah.’ Logan grinned. ‘Anyway, it’s only temporary and I’ve replaced Kyla. Now you’re here, so we’re back on track.’

‘If I were you, I’d postpone the celebrations until the whole island gets wind of your little plan. The jungle drums will start beating soon.’

‘They’re already beating.’ Logan picked up his coffee-mug and then realised that it was empty and put it down again. ‘My phone has been ringing and you’ve only been on the island for twenty minutes. You certainly know how to make a lasting impression, Conner MacNeil. What exactly did you do on that ferry?’

‘Travelled on it. Apparently that was more than enough.’ Conner stretched his legs out in front of him and put his helmet down on the floor. ‘There’s going to be a rebellion. If looks could kill, I’d be in your mortuary right now, not your consulting room. The natives will probably return to their roots and take up arms to defend themselves from the unwelcome invader. They’re preparing themselves for rape and pillage.’

‘Ignore them. You know what the islanders are like.’ Logan reached for a pack of papers. ‘They don’t like change. Can you read this lot quickly and sign? Just a formality.’

‘And you know how much I love formality,’ Connor drawled softly, but he leaned forward to take the papers, grimacing when he saw the thickness of the documentation. ‘Life’s too short to wade through that much bureaucracy. What does it say? Conner MacNeil must not steal, destroy property or otherwise harass the citizens of Glenmore?’

‘All that and the fact that all single women under the age of thirty are now considered to be in danger.’ Logan’s eyes gleamed as he handed his cousin a pen. ‘The men of the island are locking up their wives and daughters as we speak and Mrs Graham is probably shovelling fertiliser on her delphiniums to increase their height and preserve her modesty and yours. Sign the back page.’

‘Single women under the age of thirty? Why thirty? That doesn’t give me nearly enough scope. I’ve always preferred experience to innocence.’ Conner flipped straight to the back of the sheaf of papers and signed with a casual flourish.

Logan lifted an eyebrow. ‘Aren’t you going to bother to read what you just signed?’

‘I’m presuming it’s a load of rules and regulations.’

‘And knowing that, you’re prepared to sign? I thought you hated rules and regulations.’

‘I do, but I trust you and I admire what you’ve built here on Glenmore.’ Conner handed the papers back to Logan, a faint smile on his mouth. ‘I promise to do my best for your patients. I’m not promising that I won’t bend the rules a little if it proves to be necessary.’

Logan reached for an envelope. ‘I bend them all the time. It’s the only way to get things done. It’s good to have you here, Conner.’

‘I don’t think everyone is going to agree with you. Judging from the shock on the faces I’ve seen so far, you didn’t warn them in advance.’

‘Do I look stupid?’ Logan slipped the papers into the envelope and dropped it into the tray on his desk. ‘I was waiting until you showed up.’

‘Did you think I wouldn’t?’

‘Reliability isn’t your middle name. I wasn’t sure you’d actually do this when the time came.’

Connor gave a humourless laugh. ‘Then that makes two of us.’

‘But you did, so now I can break the happy news to the inhabitants of Glenmore. How have you been? Tell me, honestly.’ Logan hesitated. ‘It must have been hard…’

‘Coming back? Why would you say that?’ Conner was surprised to find that his voice sounded so harsh. ‘You know how much I love this place.’

Ignoring the sarcasm, Logan watched him steadily. ‘Actually, I was talking about leaving the army.’

The army?

Conner realised that since he’d stepped off the ferry, he’d given no thought to the life he’d just left. All he could think about was Glenmore and how it felt to be back. The bad memories poured into him like some dark, insidious disease, gradually taking possession of his mind. ‘Leaving the army isn’t my problem at the moment.’ he growled. ‘And, anyway, I don’t believe in living in the past when there’s a perfectly good future to be getting on with.’

‘Are you going to sell the house?’

‘You get straight to the point, don’t you?’ Conner rose to his feet and paced across the room, keeping his back to his cousin as he rode the pain. ‘Yes.’ He turned, his eyes fierce. ‘Why would I keep it?’

‘So that you have a place on Glenmore?’

‘If I’d wanted that,’ Conner said softly, ‘why would I be renting your barn?’

‘Good point.’ Logan gave him a sympathetic look. ‘This must be hard for you, I know.’

‘Nowhere near as hard as it’s going to be for the locals.’ Conner studied a picture on the wall. ‘They’re going to think that you’ve lost your mind, appointing me as the locum.’

‘They’d be less shocked if you told them the truth about what you’ve been doing since you stormed off Glenmore all those years ago.’

‘Island gossip has never interested me.’

‘You sound like Flora. Her clinics are taking twice as long as they should because she doesn’t like to interrupt people when they’re chatting.’

‘Flora?’

‘My practice nurse. She replaced Kyla.’

‘Flora Harris?’ Conner turned, the pain inside him under control. ‘Daughter of Ian Harris, our island solicitor? Niece of our esteemed headmistresses?’

Cloudy dark hair, soft brown eyes, an impossibly shy and awkward teenager, and as innocent as the dawn…

Logan’s eyes narrowed. ‘You didn’t ever…’

‘Fortunately for her, there were enough wild teenage girls on the island who were more than happy to experiment, without me having to corrupt the saintly Flora. Anyway, she didn’t take her nose out of a book for long enough to discover the existence of sex.’

‘She isn’t saintly. Just shy.’

‘Maybe. But definitely not the sort of girl who would skip classes in favour of a practical session on human reproduction.’ Conner rolled his shoulders to ease the tension. ‘I’m not surprised she’s a nurse. It would have been that or a librarian. Does she know I’m the new doctor?’

‘Not yet.’

‘She won’t approve.’

‘Even if she doesn’t, she would never say so. Flora is sweet, kind and incredibly civilised.’

‘Whereas I’m sharp, unkind and incredibly uncivilised. I’m willing to bet that the first thing she does, when she finds out about me, is remind you that I blew up the science lab.’

‘I’d forgotten about that.’ Momentarily distracted, Logan narrowed his eyes. ‘What did you use—potassium?’

‘Too dangerous. They didn’t keep it at school.’ Restless, Conner paced across the room again and scanned the row of textbooks on the shelf. ‘But they did keep sodium. That was good enough.’

‘It should have been in a locked cupboard.’

‘It was.’

Logan laughed. ‘I’m amazed you weren’t expelled.’

‘Me, too. Very frustrating, given how hard I applied myself to the task.’ Conner suppressed a yawn. ‘So I’m going to be working with Flora. The excitement of this place increases by the minute.’

‘She’s a brilliant nurse. She was working in Edinburgh until last month but we persuaded her to come back. And now you’ve joined us. I’ve been thinking—we should tell the islanders what you’ve been doing with your life.’

‘It’s none of their business.’

Logan sighed. ‘I don’t see why you’re so reluctant to let people know that you’re a good guy.’

‘Who says I’m a good guy? If you wanted a good guy for the job then you’ve appointed the wrong man.’ Conner turned, a ghost of a smile on his face. ‘You’ll have a hard job convincing Flora, Mrs Graham and any of that lot on the ferry that there’s a single decent bone in my body.’

‘Give them time. How soon can you start?’

‘That depends on how soon you want to clear out your surgery.’ Conner unzipped his jacket. ‘I can guarantee that they won’t be queuing up to see me. I’m assuming that, by appointing me, you want to encourage your patients to deal with their ailments at home. We both know they won’t be coming to the surgery once they know who the doctor is. Which means I get to lounge around all day with my feet up while you pay my salary.’

‘That’s rubbish. You know as well as I do that the women will be forming a disorderly queue all the way to the harbour.’ Logan’s expression was serious. ‘Tell them the truth about yourself, Con. It will help them understand you.’

‘I don’t need them to understand me. That’s always been the difference between us. You are a nice guy. I’m not. You care about them. I don’t.’

‘So why are you here?’

‘Not out of love for the islanders, that’s for sure. And I’m here because…’ Conner shrugged ‘…you rang me. I came. Let’s leave it at that.’ He didn’t want to think about the rest of it. Not yet. He frowned, his attention caught by one of the photographs on the wall. ‘Isn’t that little Evanna Duncan? Are you two together?’

‘She’s Evanna MacNeil now,’ Logan’s tone was a shade cooler as he corrected him. ‘I married her a year ago and if you so much as glance in her direction you might just discover that I’m not such a nice guy after all.’

‘Seducing married women has never been on my list of vices.’ Conner turned and looked at his cousin. ‘She always adored you. Children?’

‘Evanna is due in five weeks.’ Logan hesitated. ‘And I have a daughter from a previous marriage. Kirsty. She’s two.’

‘So, you’re a regular family man.’ Conner saw the shadows in Logan’s eyes but he knew better than to ask questions. He had plenty of shadows of his own, dark corners that he kept private.

Logan’s gaze didn’t waver. ‘What about you? Wife? Children?’

‘I’ll assume that wasn’t a serious question.’

‘I was just hoping you had a reason not to wreak havoc across the female population of Glenmore over the summer. Just don’t touch the patients, it’s strictly frowned on and definitely against the rules.’ Logan rose to his feet. ‘Use the consulting room across the corridor. Do you want to shave or change before you start?’

‘And ruin the opportunity to shock everyone? I don’t think so. I’ll stay as I am.’

‘I’ve just broken the news of your arrival to Janet, our receptionist. She’s already lined up some patients. Is there anything you need to know before you start?’

‘Yes.’ Conner paused, his hand on the door. ‘If I’m not allowed to seduce the patients, how am I supposed to relieve the boredom of being trapped on Glenmore?’

‘I don’t suppose you’d consider a round of golf?’

‘No.’

‘I didn’t think you would. Well, I’m confident you’ll find something or someone to distract you.’ Logan gave a resigned laugh. ‘Just steer clear of Mrs Graham’s garden, that’s all I ask.’

She needed to talk to Logan quickly.

Flora nipped across the corridor and tapped lightly on the door. Without waiting for an answer, she walked into his consulting room and immediately collided with a tall, dark-haired man whose body seemed to be made of nothing but rock-hard muscle. She stumbled slightly but his hands came out and steadied her, his strong fingers digging into her arms as he held her.

‘I’m terribly sorry,’ she apologised breathlessly, catching her glasses before they could slide down her nose, ‘I had no idea Logan had a patient with him.’

‘Hello, Flora.’ His lazy, masculine drawl was alarmingly familiar and her eyes flew wide as she tilted her head back to take a proper look at him.

‘Oh!’ Her heart started to beat in double time and she felt decidedly faint. Her knees weakened and from a distance she heard Logan’s voice.

‘Flora, you remember my cousin Conner?’

Remember? Remember? Well, of course she remembered! She might be short-sighted, but she was still a woman! And it didn’t matter how many rules or hearts he’d broken, there wasn’t a woman alive who would forget Conner MacNeil once she’d met him.

Especially not her.

And he would have known how she’d felt because arrogance and Conner had gone hand in hand. Even as a young boy he’d known exactly what effect he had on the girls and had used it to his advantage.

But it wasn’t a boy who was standing in front of her now. It was a man. And his effect on the opposite sex had grown proportionately.

Determined not to boost his ego by revealing her thoughts, Flora screwed up her face and adopted what she hoped was a puzzled expression. ‘Conner…Conner… The name is familiar—were you below me at school? Or were you above me?’

His blue eyes glinted with wicked humour. ‘I don’t recall ever being above or below you, Flora,’ he murmured softly, ‘but that may be my defective memory.’

She felt the heat flare in her cheeks and remembered, too late, that anyone trying to play word games with Conner was always going to lose. His brain and his tongue worked in perfect unison whereas hers had always been slightly disconnected. Without fail she thought of the perfect thing to say about two days after the opportunity to say it had passed.

‘Well, you do look vaguely familiar,’ she said quickly, stepping back and concentrating her attention on Logan to cover up how unsettled she felt. A moment ago she’d been happily existing in the present, enjoying her life. The next she’d been transported back to her childhood and it was a lonely, uncomfortable place. If this was time travel, then she wanted none of it.

She’d had such a desperate, agonising crush on Conner. A crush that had been intensified by the fact that her father had forbidden her to mix with him. ‘Sorry to disturb your reunion, but Amy Price just rang me. Heather has chickenpox.’

‘And?’ Logan frowned. ‘Tell her to buy some paracetamol and chlorpheniramine from the pharmacy.’

‘I’m not worried about Heather. I’m worried about your wife. Evanna saw the child in clinic yesterday.’

‘And the child would have been infectious.’ Understanding dawned and Logan cursed softly. ‘Has Evanna had chickenpox?’

‘I don’t think so. That’s why I thought you ought to know straight away. I remember talking about it with her a few months ago. She was telling me that her mother sent her off to play with everyone who had chickenpox, but she never caught it.’

‘Chickenpox is a disease that you don’t want to catch in the third trimester of pregnancy.’

‘That’s what I thought.’

Somehow she was managing to have a normal conversation with Logan, but her head and senses were filled with Conner. In some ways he’d changed, she mused, and yet in others he hadn’t. The muscular physique was the reward of manhood but other things—the air of supreme indifference and the ice-blue eyes—had been part of the boy.

What was he doing here, anyway? Like everyone else, she’d assumed he’d never show his face on the island again.

Logan walked to his desk. ‘I’ll call Evanna now.’

‘I’ve already done it. She’s about to start her clinic, but she’ll come and talk to you first. I thought you might want to delay your first patient or pass him across to the new doctor when he arrives.’

‘Relax. She’s probably immune.’ Conner leaned his broad shoulders against the doorframe, watching them both with an expression that could have been amusement or boredom. ‘Do a blood test and check her antibody status.’

She was wrong, Flora realised with a flash of disquiet. There was nothing of the boy left. There were more changes than she’d thought, and some were so subtle that they weren’t immediately obvious. Those ice-blue eyes were sharper and more cynical, and his arrogance had clearly developed along with his muscles. What did he know about antibody status? Or was he one of those people who watched all the medical soaps on television and then assumed they were qualified to diagnose?

To make matters worse, Logan was nodding, encouraging him. ‘Yes—yes, I’ll do that, but if she’s not immune…’

‘Then you just give her zoster immunoglobulin. What’s the matter with you?’ Conner’s brows drew into a frown as he looked at his cousin. ‘This is why I’m careful not to fall in love. It fries your brain cells and obliterates your judgement.’

‘There’s nothing wrong with Logan’s judgement.’ Fiercely loyal, Flora immediately flew to Logan’s defence and then wished she hadn’t because Conner switched his gaze from Logan to her and his attention was unsettling, to say the least.

Apparently unaware of the change in the atmosphere, Logan rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. ‘When you love someone, Conner,’ he said, ‘you lose perspective.’

Conner’s eyes held Flora’s. ‘I wouldn’t know. That’s one mistake I’ve never made.’

She swallowed, every bit as uncomfortable as he’d clearly intended her to be. Was he trying to shock her? He’d had women, she knew that. Probably many. Was she surprised that he’d never found love? That he considered love a mistake?

‘True love is a gift, given to few,’ she murmured, and Conner’s mouth tilted and his blue eyes glinted with sardonic humour.

‘True love is a curse, bestowed on the unlucky. Love brings weakness and vulnerability. How can that be a gift?’

Flustered, she cleared her throat and looked away. What was he doing here? Why had he returned to Glenmore with no warning, looking like the bad guy out of a Hollywood movie? His hair was dark and cropped short and his jaw was dark with stubble. He was indecently handsome and the only thing that marred the otherwise faultless symmetry of his features was the slight bump in his nose, an imperfection which she assumed to be the legacy of a fight. He looked tough and dangerous and the impression of virile manhood was further intensified by the width and power of his shoulders under the black leather jacket.

He wasn’t attractive, Flora told herself desperately. How could he possibly be attractive? He looked…rough. Rough and a little menacing. She thought of the conventional, bespectacled lawyer she’d dated for a while in Edinburgh. He’d always let her through doors first and had been completely charming. His hair had always been neat and tidy and she’d never, ever seen him anything other than clean-shaven. He’d almost always worn a suit when they’d dated and his legs hadn’t filled his trousers the way that Conner’s did. And then there had been his smile. His cheeks had dimpled slightly and his eyes had been kind. Nothing like Conner’s eyes. Conner’s eyes were fierce and hard, as if he was just waiting for someone to pick a fight so that he could work off some pent-up energy.

Her heart thudded hard against her chest. Conner MacNeil wasn’t charming or kind. He was—He was…unsuitable. Dangerous. A woman had to be mad to look twice at a man like him.

Why, she wondered helplessly, was the unsuitable and the dangerous always so much more appealing than the suitable?

‘We need to get on.’ With a huge effort of will, she broke the connection and turned her attention back to Logan. ‘We’ve a busy surgery this morning. What happened to the new doctor? Did he show up? You didn’t tell me who he is or when he or she can start.’

‘You heard the woman.’ Logan turned to Conner. ‘Go and do your job.’

Conner shrugged and a slight smile touched his mouth. ‘Prepare for chaos.’

It took Flora a moment to understand the implications of their conversation. ‘You can’t—Conner?’ Her voice cracked. ‘But Conner isn’t—’ She broke off and Conner lifted an eyebrow.

‘Don’t stop there,’ he prompted softly. ‘I’m keen to hear all the things I’m not.’

Not suitable. Not safe. Not conventional. Not responsible… She could have drawn up a never-ending list of things he was not. ‘I—You’re not a doctor. You can’t be a doctor.’

He smiled. ‘Why? Because I didn’t hand in my homework on time?’

‘You didn’t hand in your homework at all. You were hardly ever at school!’

‘I’m flattered that you noticed.’ His soft observation was a humiliating reminder that she’d always been aware of him and he’d never even noticed her.

She was probably the only girl on Glenmore who hadn’t been kissed by Conner MacNeil.

She turned away, horrified that after all this time she still cared that she’d been invisible to him. ‘You’re forgetting that my aunt was the headmistress.’

‘I’ve forgotten nothing.’ There was something in his tone that made her glance at him and speculate. There was resentment there and—anger?

He’d always seemed angry, she remembered. Angry, moody and wild.

Was that why he was back? Was he seeking revenge on the people who had disapproved and eventually despaired of him?

‘Ann runs a wonderful school.’ She felt compelled to defend her family. ‘The children all adore her and they get a fantastic education.’

‘There’s more to education than sitting in rows in a classroom with a book in front of you.’ Conner leaned nonchalantly against the table, his glance speculative. ‘Still the same Flora. Conventional. Playing everything by the rules. I presume that all your affairs are still with books?’

His comment stung. He made her feel so—so—boring. Plain, boring Flora. And that was what they’d called her at school, of course. Boring Flora. Hurt, she clawed back. ‘Rules are there for a reason and if you’re really a doctor then I hope you’ve read a few books yourself along the way, otherwise I pity your patients.’ She stopped, shocked at herself and aware that Logan was gaping at her in amazement.

‘Flora! I’ve never heard you speak to anyone like that before. Usually I have to drag a response from you. What is the matter with you?’

‘I don’t know. I—Nothing.’ Flora’s cheeks were scarlet and she blinked several times and adjusted her glasses. She didn’t know what was the matter. She didn’t know what had come over her. She didn’t know why she felt so hot and bothered. ‘Sorry. I apologise.’

She felt miserably uncomfortable and mortified that she’d embarrassed Logan. The only person who didn’t seem remotely embarrassed was Conner himself. He simply laughed.

‘Don’t apologise. I much prefer to be around people who say what they think. I’m sure most of the inhabitants of Glenmore will share your sentiments and express them far more vociferously.’ He turned to Logan. ‘I did warn you that this wouldn’t work. It isn’t too late to change your mind.’

‘Of course I’m not going to change my mind.’ Logan sounded exasperated. ‘Flora, Conner’s credentials are—’

‘Irrelevant,’ Conner interrupted smoothly, and Flora bit her lip.

She knew she ought to say something nice and welcoming, but her brain just didn’t seem to be working with its normal efficiency. Seeing Conner again without warning was shocking, confusing and—thrilling?

Horrified, she quickly dismissed that last emotion and pressed her fingers to her chest, wishing that her heart would slow down. It was not, definitely not, thrilling that he was back on the island. If she’d been asked to choose the least suitable man to be a doctor on Glenmore, it would have been Conner MacNeil.

Over the years, she’d thought of him often.

Too often.

She’d wondered where he was and what he was doing. She’d imagined him languishing in some jail, maybe in a foreign country; she’d imagined him sitting by a pool in a tax haven, having made piles of money by some unspeakably dubious means.

Never, in her most extravagant fantasies, had she imagined him training as a doctor and never, in those same dreams, had she imagined him returning to Glenmore.

One thing she knew for sure; the calm, tranquil routine of Glenmore Island was about to be overturned.

She didn’t know what sort of doctor Conner was going to prove to be, but she knew it wasn’t the sort that the islanders were used to seeing.

CHAPTER TWO

CONNER buzzed for his first patient and braced himself for the reaction.

He wasn’t disappointed.

The first man who walked through his door took one look at him, gave a horrified gasp and immediately backed out, muttering that he’d ‘wait for the other doctor’.

Conner watched him leave, his handsome face expressionless. Clearly people had long memories and he understood all about that. He hadn’t forgotten a single minute of his time on Glenmore.

With a dismissive shrug, he buzzed for the next patient and the moment Susan Ellis walked through the door, he prepared himself for a repeat performance. If he had any supporters among the islanders—and he was beginning to doubt that he had—this lady wouldn’t be among them. She ran the shop at the harbour and she had reason to know him better than most.

‘Good morning, Mrs Ellis.’ He kept his tone suitably neutral but her face reflected her shock at seeing him.

‘Conner MacNeil! So the rumours are true, then.’ She glanced behind her, obviously wondering if she’d wandered into the wrong building, and Conner lifted an eyebrow.

‘Is there something I can help you with, Mrs Ellis?’ Perhaps this wasn’t going to work after all.

‘I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.’

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her to think quickly because there was a queue of patients waiting but then he realised that the queue was probably dwindling by the second so a slightly longer consultation wasn’t likely to matter.

‘If you’d rather see Logan, go ahead. My feelings will remain intact.’

‘I’m not thinking about your feelings,’ she said tartly. ‘I’m thinking about my health. I assume Logan knows you’re here?’

‘You think I broke a window and climbed in? Looking for drugs, maybe?’

She gave him a reproving look. ‘Don’t give me sarcasm, Conner MacNeil. I’m not afraid to admit that you wouldn’t leap to mind as someone to turn to in times of trouble.’

Clearly recalling the details of their last encounter, Conner relented slightly. ‘I don’t blame you for that.’

She studied him from the safety of the doorway, her mouth compressed into a firm line of disapproval. ‘So you’ve mended your ways. Are you really a doctor?’

‘Apparently.’

‘There’s plenty on this island who will be surprised to hear that.’

‘I’m sure that’s true.’ Conner kept his tone level. ‘Are you going or staying? Because if you’re staying, you may as well sit down. Or we can carry on this consultation standing, up if that’s what you would prefer.’

‘Not very friendly, are you?’

‘I presumed you were looking for a doctor, not a date.’

Susan Ellis gave a reluctant laugh. ‘You always were a sharp one, I’ll give you that.’ After a moment’s hesitation she closed the door and sat down gingerly on the edge of the seat, as if she hadn’t quite decided whether she was going to stay or not. ‘I’m not sure if I can talk about this with you.’

Conner sighed. It was going to be a long day. ‘As I said, if you’d rather see Logan, I quite understand.’

She fiddled with the strap of her handbag and then put it on the floor in a decisive movement. ‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘I’ve never been one to live in the past. Times change. People change. If you’re a doctor then—I don’t suppose you’ll be able to help me anyway.’

‘Try me.’

‘It’s hard to put a finger on when it all started, but it’s been a while.’ She glanced at Conner and he sat in silence, just listening. ‘Probably been almost a year. I’m tired, you see. All the time. And I know doctors hate hearing that. You’re going to say it’s just my age, but—’

‘I haven’t said anything yet, Mrs Ellis. You speak your lines and then I’ll speak mine.’ He could have been wrong but he thought he saw her shoulders relax slightly.

‘Fair enough. Well, I feel washed out and exhausted a lot of the time. It doesn’t matter how well I sleep or how much rest I take, I’m still tired.’ She hesitated and then sighed. ‘And a little depressed, if I’m honest. But that’s probably because I just feel so…slow. If this is getting old, I want none of it.’

‘Have you gained weight?’

She stiffened. ‘Are you going to lecture me on my eating?’

‘Are you going to answer the question?’

Susan shifted self consciously, automatically pulling in her stomach and straightening her shoulders. ‘Yes, I’ve gained weight, but I suppose that’s my age as well. You just can’t eat so much when you get older and it’s hard to change old habits. Aren’t you going to make notes? Logan always keeps meticulous notes.’

‘I prefer to listen. I’ll do the writing part later.’ Conner stood up and walked towards her, his eyes concentrating on her face. ‘Your skin is dry. Is that usual for you?’

‘Didn’t used to be but it’s usual now. My hair’s the same.’ She tilted her face so that he could take a closer look. ‘Observant, aren’t you?’

‘Sometimes.’ Having looked at her skin, Conner took her hands in his and examined them carefully. Then he looked at her eyelids. ‘You have slight oedema. Can I take a look at your feet?’

‘My feet?’

‘That’s right.’ He squatted down and helped her slip her shoes off.

‘I never thought I’d have Conner MacNeil at my feet.’

‘Savour the moment, Mrs Ellis. Do they bother you?’

‘They’re aching terribly and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re a bit swollen…’ She wiggled her toes. ‘I assumed it was the heat.’

Conner examined her feet and ankles. ‘From what I’ve seen, Glenmore is in the middle of a typical summer. Wind and rain. I’m not expecting any cases of heatstroke today.’ He was sure that her feet were swollen for a very different reason.

‘We had sunshine last week. You know Glenmore—the weather is always unpredictable. A bit like you.’ She looked at him, her gaze slightly puzzled. ‘You’re very gentle. I hadn’t expected that of you.’

‘I prefer not to leave marks on my victims.’ A faint smile on his face, Conner rose to his feet. ‘The swelling isn’t caused by heat, Mrs Ellis. I can tell you that much.’ He washed his hands and picked up the IV tray that Flora had left on the trolley. ‘I’m going to take some blood.’

‘Is that really necessary?’

‘No. I just want to cause you pain.’

His patient laughed out loud. ‘Revenge, Conner?’

‘Maybe. You called the police that night.’

‘Yes, I did.’ Susan stuck out her arm. ‘You were out of control. Only eight years old and helping yourself to what you wanted from my shop.’

He ran his fingers gently over her skin, searching for a vein. ‘I needed some stuff and I didn’t have the money to pay.’

‘And how often did I hear that from the children? Plenty of them did it.’ Her laughter faded and she shook her head as she watched him. ‘But I remember you. You were different. So bold. A real rebel. Even when John, our island policeman, gave you a talking to, you didn’t cry. It was as if you were used to being shouted at. As if you’d hardened yourself.’

Conner didn’t falter. ‘You have good veins. This shouldn’t be hard.’

‘You’re not going to excuse yourself, are you?’

‘Why would I do that?’

‘Because we found out later that there were things happening in your house.’ She spoke softly. ‘Plenty to explain why you were the way you were.’

Suddenly the room felt bitterly cold. Conner slipped a tourniquet over her wrist. ‘Everyone’s family is complicated. Mine was no different.’

‘No?’ Susan looked at him for a moment and then sighed. ‘I remember how you looked on that day. You just stood there, all defiant, your chin up and those blue eyes of yours flashing daggers. Oh, you were angry with me.’

‘As you said, you’d called the police.’

‘But it didn’t have any effect. You were never afraid of anyone or anything, were you, Conner MacNeil?’

Oh, yes, he’d been afraid. ‘Don’t do it. Don’t touch her—I’ll kill you if you touch her.’

With ruthless determination Conner pushed the memory back into the darkness where it belonged. ‘On the contrary, I was afraid of my cousin Kyla.’ Keeping his tone neutral, he tightened the tourniquet and studied the woman’s veins. ‘She had a deadly punch and a scream that would puncture your eardrums.’

‘Ah, Kyla. We all miss her. It’s not good when islanders leave. It’s not good for Glenmore.’

Swift and sure, Conner slipped the needle into the vein. ‘Depends on the islander, Mrs Ellis. There are some people that Glenmore is pleased to see the back of.’ He released the tourniquet and watched as the blood flowed. ‘I’m checking your thyroid function, by the way.’

‘Oh. Why?’

‘Because I think hypothyroidism is a possible explanation for your symptoms.’ Having collected the blood he needed, he withdrew the needle and covered the area with a pad. ‘Press on that for a moment, would you? If you leave here with bruises, that will be another black mark against me.’

She looked down at her arm. ‘That’s it? You’ve finished? You’re good at that. I barely felt it.’ The expression in her eyes cooled. ‘I suppose you have a lot of experience with needles.’

Conner picked up a pen and labelled the bottles. ‘I’m the first to admit that my list of vices is deplorably long, Mrs Ellis, but I’ve never done drugs.’

Her shoulders relaxed. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said softly. ‘That was uncalled for. If I’ve offended you…’

‘You haven’t offended me.’ He dropped the blood samples into a bag, wondering what had possessed him to take the job on Glenmore. He could have come in on the ferry, sorted out his business and left again.

‘Hypothyroidism, you say?’

‘There are numerous alternative explanations, of course, but this is a good place to start.’

‘I don’t know whether to be relieved or alarmed. I was expecting you to tell me it was nothing. Should I be worried?’

‘Worrying doesn’t achieve anything. If we find a problem, we’ll look for a solution.’ He completed the necessary form and then washed his hands again. ‘I’m going to wait for those results before we look at anything else because I have a strong feeling that we’ve found the culprit.’

‘You’re confident.’

‘Would you prefer me to fumble and dither?’

She laughed. ‘You always were a bright boy, Conner MacNeil. Too bright, some would say. Bright and a rebel. A dangerous combination.’

Conner sat back down in his chair. ‘Call the surgery in three days for the result and then make another appointment to see me. We can talk about what to do next.’

‘All right, I’ll do that. Thank you.’ Susan picked up her bag, rose to her feet and walked to the door. Then she turned. ‘I always regretted it, you know.’

Conner looked up. ‘Regretted what?’

‘Calling the police.’ Her voice was soft. ‘At the time I thought you needed a fright. I thought a bit of discipline might sort you out. But I was wrong. You were wild. Out of control. But what you needed was a bit of love. People to believe in you. I see that now. What with everything that was happening at home—your mum and dad. Of course, none of us knew the details at the time, but—’

‘You did the right thing calling the police, Mrs Ellis,’ Conner said in a cool tone. ‘In your position I would have called them, too.’

‘At the time I was angry that they didn’t charge you.’

‘I’m sure you were.’

It was her turn to smile. ‘Now I’m pleased they didn’t. Can I ask you something?’

‘You can ask. I don’t promise to answer.’

‘There was a spate of minor shoplifting at that time but everyone else was taking sweets and crisps. You took the oddest assortment of things. What did you want it all for?’

Conner leaned back and smiled. ‘I was making a bomb.’

‘He blew up the science lab!’ Flora stood in front of Logan, trying to make him to see reason.

‘Funny.’ Logan scanned the lab result in front of him. ‘Conner said that you’d bring that up.’

‘Of course I’m bringing it up. It says everything about the type of person he is.’

‘Was.’Logan lifted his eyes to hers. ‘It tells you who he was. Not who he is.’

‘You really think he’s changed?’

‘Are you the same person you were at fifteen?’

Agonisingly shy, barely able to string a sentence together in public. Flora flushed. ‘No,’ she said huskily. ‘Of course not.’

Logan shrugged. ‘Perhaps he’s changed, too.’

‘And what if he hasn’t? What sort of doctor is he going to make?’

‘An extremely clever one. Most people wouldn’t have had such a good understanding of the reactivity series to cause that explosion. Anyway, I thought you were relieved that I’d found another doctor.’

‘I was, but I never thought for a moment it would be—I mean, Conner?’ Flora’s expression was troubled. ‘He’s right, you know. The locals won’t be happy. What if they make life difficult for him?’

‘They always did. He’ll cope. Conner is as tough as they come.’

‘I can’t believe he’s a doctor. How did you find out? I mean, he vanished without trace.’

‘I stayed in touch with him.’ Logan lifted his gaze to hers. ‘He’s my cousin, Flora. Family. I knew he was a doctor. When I knew I needed help, he seemed the obvious choice.’

‘Are you sure? He used to be very unstable. Unreliable. Rebellious. Disruptive.’ Attractive, compelling, addictive.

‘You’re describing the teenager.’

‘He created havoc.’ she looked at him, wondering why she had to remind him of something that he must know himself. ‘He was suspended from school three times. If there’d been an alternative place for him to go, I’m sure he would have been expelled. Not only did he blow up the science lab, he set off a firework in the library, he burned down the MacDonalds’ barn—the list of things he did is endless. He was wild, Logan. Totally out of control.’ And impossibly, hopelessly attractive. There hadn’t been a woman on Glenmore who hadn’t dreamed of taming him. Herself included.

She’d wanted to help.

She’d wanted…

She pushed the thought away quickly. She’d been a dreamy teenager but she was an adult now, a grown woman and far too sensible to see Conner as anything other than a liability.

‘His parents were going through a particularly acrimonious divorce at the time. There were lots of rumours about that household. My aunt—his mother—left when he was eleven. That’s tough on any child.’ Logan turned his attention back to the pile in his in-tray. ‘Enough to shake the roots of any family. It’s not surprising he was disruptive.’

‘He isn’t interested in authority.’

Logan threw the pen down on his desk. ‘Perhaps he thinks that those in authority let him down.’

Flora bit her lip. ‘Perhaps they did. But if that’s the case then it makes even less sense that he’s back. He couldn’t wait to get away from Glenmore the first time around and he stayed away for twelve years.’

‘Is it that long?’ Logan studied her face thoughtfully. ‘I haven’t been counting, but obviously you have.’

‘It was a wild guess,’ Flora muttered quickly, ‘but either way, it’s been a long time. And the question is, why has he picked this particular moment to come back?’

‘Why does it matter? If he turns out to be a lousy doctor, I’m the one who will pay the price. Or is there more to this than your concern for the reputation of Glenmore Medical Centre? Is this personal, Flora?’ Logan’s voice was gentle. ‘Is there something going on that I should know about?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Flora rose to her feet swiftly, her heart pounding. ‘And I think it’s obvious to everyone that I’m not his type. I’ve never been attracted to unsuitable men.’ A painful lump sat in the pit of her stomach. He’d never looked at her. Not once.

‘Then you’re probably the only woman on the island who wasn’t,’ Logan said mildly, ‘if I recall correctly, Conner had quite a following, and the more reprehensible his behaviour, the bigger the following.’

‘I suppose some of the girls found him attractive because he was forbidden territory.’ Flora wished her heart would slow down. ‘I still can’t believe he’s a doctor.’

‘I know you can’t. You didn’t exactly hide your astonishment,’ Logan said dryly and Flora felt a twinge of guilt.

‘I didn’t mean to be rude but weren’t you surprised when you found out?’

‘No.’ Logan rolled his shoulders to ease the stiffness of sitting. ‘Conner always was ferociously clever.’

‘He hated school. He was barely ever there.’

‘And he still managed straight As in every subject. As I said—we all let him down. He was too clever to be trapped behind a desk and forced to learn in a prescribed pattern. People were too conventional to notice the brain behind the behavioural problems.’

Flora gave a puzzled frown. She’d never thought of it that way before. ‘Well, he obviously learned to study at some point. Where did he train, anyway?’

‘In the army.’

‘In the—’ Stunned, Flora swallowed. ‘He was in the army?’

‘Army medic.’ Logan flipped through a pile of papers on his desk and removed a file. ‘Read.’ He handed it to her. ‘It’s impressive stuff. Perhaps it will set your mind at rest about his ability and dedication.’

‘But the army requires discipline. All the things Conner doesn’t—’

‘Read,’ Logan said firmly. ‘The patients might doubt him to begin with, but I don’t want the practice staff making the same mistake. The man’s qualifications and experience are better than mine. Read, Flora.’

Flora opened the file reluctantly. After a moment, she looked up. ‘He’s a surgeon?’

‘Among other things. I did tell you that the man was clever.’

Her eyes flickered back to the page. ‘Afghanistan? That doesn’t sound very safe.’

‘No.’ Logan’s voice was dry. ‘But it sounds very Conner. I don’t suppose anything safe would hold his interest for long.’

‘Which brings me back to my original question.’ She dropped the file back on his desk. ‘What’s he doing back on Glenmore? He hates Glenmore and if he still needs adrenaline and excitement in his life, he’s going to last five minutes on this island.’

‘I don’t think it’s any of my business.’ Logan leaned back in his chair. ‘He’s back, that’s all I need to know.’

‘It’s going to be like putting a match to a powder keg. And I’m just worried he’ll let you down in the middle of the summer tourist season. You and all the islanders.’

Logan’s gaze followed her. ‘They let him down. This is his chance to even the score or prove himself. Either way, he’s family, Flora, and I’m giving him this opportunity. It’s up to him what he chooses to do with it.’

Flora bit her lip. Family. On Glenmore family and community was everything. It was what made the island what it was. But Conner had rejected everything that Glenmore stood for. He’d walked away from it.

So why was he back?

CHAPTER THREE

CONNER WATCHED as Flora entered the room. Her eyes were down and she was clutching a bunch of forms that he assumed were for him.

Probably from Logan, he thought, finding an excuse to engineer peace.

The fact that she seemed reluctant to look in his direction amused him. As a teenager she’d been impossibly shy. He remembered her sitting on her own in the corner of the playground, her nose stuck in a book. What he didn’t remember was her ever stringing more than two words together. But today, in Logan’s surgery, she’d been surprisingly articulate.

He gave a cynical smile.

It seemed his presence was enough to encourage even the mute to speak.

‘The lamb enters the wolf’s den unprotected,’ he drawled softly, and watched as the heat built in her cheeks. ‘I never saw you as a risk-taker, Flora. Aren’t you afraid I might do something evil to you now we’re on our own?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ She adjusted her glasses and put the forms on his desk. ‘Logan wanted you to have these.’

No, Conner thought to himself. Logan wanted us to have a moment together because he doesn’t want his staff at odds with each other.

He heard her take a deep breath and then she looked at him.

As if she’d been plucking up courage.

‘So…’ She cleared her throat. ‘How is it going? Any problems so far?’

‘No problems at all. The locals are refusing to see me, which means I don’t have to spend my time listening to the boring detail of people’s minor ailments.’ He studied the slight fullness of her lower lip and the smooth curve of her cheeks. She was pretty, he realised with a stab of shock. She was also wonderfully, deliciously serious and he couldn’t resist having a little fun with her. ‘And it’s really interesting to make contact with all the girls I…grew up with.’

As he’d anticipated, she flushed. What he hadn’t expected was the sudden flash of concern in her eyes. The kindness. ‘The patients are refusing to see you?’ She sounded affronted. ‘That’s awful.’

‘Don’t worry about it. I’m allergic to hard work and it gives me more time to spend on the internet.’

‘You’re just saying that, but you must feel terrible about it.’

‘I don’t give a damn.’

She gave a faint gasp and blinked several times. ‘You don’t need to pretend with me. I’m sure you’re upset. How could you not be?’

‘Flora,’ he interrupted her, amused by her misinterpretation of the facts, ‘don’t endow me with qualities that I don’t possess. To feel terrible I’d have to care, and I think we both know that my relationship with the islanders is hardly one of lasting affection.’

‘You’re very hard on them and perhaps that’s justified, but you need to see it from their point of view. Everyone’s a bit shocked, that’s all. No one was expecting you because Logan didn’t say anything to anyone.’

‘Given that this is Glenmore, I expect he’ll be struck off for respecting confidentiality.’

Her sudden smile caught him by surprise. ‘They do gossip, don’t they? Everything takes three times as long here because of the conversation. I can’t get used to it.’ Her smile faded. ‘Logan told me about what you’ve done—your training. That’s amazing. I had no idea.’

Conner sat in silence and she spread her hands, visibly uncomfortable with the situation.

‘I’m trying to apologise. I didn’t mean to be rude. It was just that…’ She gave an awkward shrug. ‘Anyway, I really am sorry.’

‘Never apologise, Flora.’

‘If I’m wrong, then I apologise,’ she said firmly. ‘Don’t you?’

‘I don’t know.’ Enjoying himself, he smiled. ‘I’ve never been wrong.’

Derailed by the banter, she backed away slightly and then stopped. ‘I’m apologising for assuming that you weren’t qualified for the job. For thinking that you being here would just cause trouble.’

‘It will cause trouble,’ Conner drawled softly, ‘so you weren’t wrong.’

‘You knew it would cause trouble?’

‘Of course.’

His answer brought a puzzled frown to her face. ‘If you knew that, why did you come back?’

‘I thrive on trouble, Flora. Trouble is the fuel the drives my engine.’

This time, instead of backing away, she looked at him. Properly. Her eyes focused on his, as if she was searching for something. ‘You’re angry with us, aren’t you? Is that why you’re here?’ She fiddled with her glasses again, as if she wasn’t used to having them on her nose. ‘To level a score?’

‘You think I became a doctor so that I could return to my roots and exterminate the inhabitants of Glenmore, one by one?’

‘Of course not. But I know you’re angry. I can feel it.’

Then she was more intuitive than he’d thought. Raising his guard, Conner watched her. ‘I’m not angry. If people would rather wait a week to see Logan, that’s fine by me.’

‘But it must hurt your feelings.’

‘I don’t have feelings, Flora. Providing I still get paid, I don’t care whether the patients see me or not. It’s Logan’s problem.’ He could tell she didn’t like his answer because she frowned and shook her head slightly.

‘I can’t believe that you’re not at all sensitive about the way people react to you.’

‘That’s because you’re a woman and women think differently to men.’ This time his smile was genuine. ‘Do I look sensitive?’ He watched as her eyes drifted to his shoulders and then lifted to his jaw line.

‘No.’Her voice was hoarse. ‘You don’t.’ And then her eyes lifted to his and the atmosphere snapped taut.

Conner felt his body stir.

Well, well, he thought. How interesting. Sexual chemistry with a woman who probably didn’t know the meaning of the phrase. His gaze lowered to her mouth and he saw that her lips were soft and bare of make-up. He had a sudden impulse to be unforgivably shocking and kiss her.

‘Well, if you’re sure you’re fine…’ She was flustered. He could tell she was flustered.

Normally he had no qualms about making a woman flustered but somehow with Flora it seemed unsporting. She might be older but she obviously wasn’t any more experienced. With an inner sigh and lingering regret, he backed off. ‘I’m fine,’ he said gently. ‘But thank you for asking.’

He wondered idly if she’d ever had sex.

A boyfriend?

‘My consulting room is next door.’ Apparently unaware of what had just happened between them, she suddenly became brisk and efficient. ‘Evanna is still doing a morning clinic, but if you need a nurse to do a home visit then ask me because she’s too pregnant to be dashing around the island. You know your way around, so that shouldn’t be a problem. If there’s anything you’re not sure of, ask.’

‘I’ll do that.’

If she had a boyfriend, it was someone tame and safe, he decided. Someone who hadn’t taught her the meaning of passion.

‘Well—I’ve held you up long enough. Morning surgery can be a long one.’ Her gaze slid to his legs, encased in black leather. ‘You know, people might feel more comfortable with you if you changed.’

‘I am who I am, Flora.’

‘I meant your clothes.’ She pushed her glasses onto the bridge of her nose. ‘You could change your clothes.’

‘Why would I want to do that?’

‘Because the patients expect a doctor to look like a doctor.’

‘Flora.’ He failed to keep the amusement out of his voice. ‘It wouldn’t matter whether I was wearing a set of theatre scrubs or a white coat, the inhabitants of Glenmore would still struggle to believe that Bad Conner is a doctor. Just as you’re struggling.’

‘I’m not. Not any more. But I don’t see why you should confirm their prejudices by dressing like a biker.’ She flushed. ‘Do you always have to antagonise people? Break the rules?’

‘Yes. I think I probably do.’ Conner watched her. ‘Just as you always like to please people and do everything that is expected of you. In our own ways we’re the same, you and I. We’re both working hard to meet society’s expectations of us.’

She looked at him, her dark eyes reproachful. ‘There’s nothing wrong in being part of a community.’

‘True. But neither is there anything wrong with not being part of it,’ he said gently. ‘Do you really think the way I’m dressed is going to compromise my ability as a doctor?’

‘No. Of course not. It’s just that you look—’ She broke off and he knew he shouldn’t follow up on that comment but he couldn’t help himself.

‘How do I look, Flora? Tell me. I want to know what you think of the way I look.’

She looked hot and flustered. ‘I-intimidating,’ she stammered, eventually. ‘I wouldn’t want to bump into you on a dark night.’

‘Is that right?’ Conner gave a slow smile and gave up trying to subdue his wicked streak. ‘In that case, we’ll have to make sure that we leave the lights on, angel.’

He was impossible and she was never going to be able to work with him.

Flora tried to concentrate on the dressing and not reveal how shaken she was by her encounter with Conner. He’d played with her, toyed with her carelessly, like a predator having fun with its prey before a kill. And as usual she hadn’t been able to think of the right thing to say because she’d been trying to sort out surgery business and he’d been—well, he’d been Conner. Selfish, indifferent and supremely cool. Just the thought of him seeing patients—or not seeing patients—in the room next door unsettled her.

She shook her head and studied the skin around the leg ulcer. ‘You still have a degree of varicose eczema, Mrs Parker. Are you using the cream Dr MacNeil gave you?’

‘The steroid cream? No, I forget.’

Flora studied the skin, checking for infection. ‘Is this tender when I press?’

‘No more than usual.’

‘There’s no erythema and your temperature is fine.’ Talking to herself, Flora made a judgement. ‘We’ll leave it for now but do me a favour and try the cream, would you? If it isn’t looking better in a week or so, I’m going to ask one of the doctors to look at it.’

‘As long as it’s Logan.’ Mrs Parker’s mouth clamped in a thin line of disapproval. ‘I’m not afraid to say that I almost fainted dead away when I saw Conner MacNeil stroll into the surgery this morning. Bold as brass. Not even trying to hide his face.’

‘Why would he hide his face, Mrs Parker?’ Flora swiftly finished the dressing and applied a compression bandage. ‘He’s a doctor and he’s come to—’ create havoc? ‘—help Logan.’

‘Help? Help? This is the boy who was so much of a handful that his mother left home! Can you imagine how badly the boy must have behaved for his own mother to give up on him? His father stayed, of course, but he was driven to drink by Conner’s antics. Died five years ago and did his son bother turning up to his funeral? No, he didn’t.’

Flora flew to Conner’s defence. ‘He’s a man now, not a boy. And no one knows what happened in his childhood, Mrs Parker.’ He hadn’t told anyone.

She paused for a moment, lost in thought as she remembered the love of her own family. Just what had Conner endured? She remembered the day she’d walked along the cliffs to his house.

She remembered the shouting.

‘Well, I tell you this much,’ Mrs Parker said firmly. ‘That boy isn’t capable of warmth or sensitivity and he doesn’t care about anyone but himself. I still don’t believe he’s a doctor. He never did a day’s studying in his life and as for the way he dresses—well, I mean, Logan’s always smart in trousers and a shirt, but Conner hadn’t even shaved! He looked—’

Handsome, Flora thought helplessly as she fumbled with the bandage. He’d looked impossibly, outrageously handsome.

‘Dangerous,’ Mrs Parker continued with a shudder, watching as Flora finished the dressing. ‘Who in their right minds would trust him with a medical problem? He causes more problems than he solves. Not too tight, dear.’

‘It has to be quite tight because we need the pressure on the ankle.’

‘I couldn’t believe it when I heard Janet booking patients in to see him. I said to Nina Hill, “Well, that’s going to be interesting to watch. Now he’ll get his comeuppance because no one will see him.”’ Having delivered that prediction, Mrs Parker paused expectantly and Flora glanced up at her, realizing that some sort of response was required.

‘They’ll see him, Mrs Parker,’ she said quietly. ‘That was then and this is now. Conner is well qualified. And it’s great news that Logan finally has help. Super.’

‘Super?’ Mrs Parker gaped at her. ‘You think it’s great news?’

Far too loyal to reveal her own reservations, Flora secured the bandage. ‘Of course. Logan is barely managing on his own. We need another doctor on the island.’

‘Well, don’t imagine for one moment that Conner MacNeil will make a difference! Even if he is a doctor now, which frankly I doubt because everyone knows that these days you can fake everything for a price, there won’t be a soul on this island who will trust his opinion.’

Flora took a deep breath and tried to speak. ‘Mrs Parker, you really shouldn’t—’

‘Anyway, enough of that conversation.’ Mrs Parker apparently didn’t even notice the interruption. ‘I refuse to waste the air in my lungs on Conner MacNeil when there are so many more important things going on around us. I meant to say to you, John Carter was seen talking at the school gate with Meg Watson. Now, that’s an interesting match, if you ask me. She’s a single mother and he’s…’

Realising that a two-way conversation wasn’t required, Flora stood up and washed her hands, only half listening as Mrs Parker regaled her with all the latest island gossip.

How could Conner not be hurt by the negative reaction of the islanders?

Was he really as indifferent as he seemed?

If it were her, she’d be completely mortified.

She tugged a paper towel out of the holder and dried her hands, part of her brain listening to Mrs Parker while the other half thought about Conner. He’d built a shell around himself, and who could blame him?

‘So what do you think, dear?’

Realising that this time Mrs Parker was waiting for a response, Flora turned. ‘I honestly don’t know,’ she said truthfully. ‘I couldn’t give an opinion.’ And even if she could, she wouldn’t. ‘Don’t forget it’s important to walk when you have a venous ulcer.’

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